Gizzard splitting and cleaning method



y 1955 w. J. PATTERSON ET AL 2,712,671

GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD Original Filed Dec. 3, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.

WILLIAM J. PATTERSON JOSEPH WEISSENSTEIN INVENTORS ATTORNEY N oE WILLIAM J. PATTERSON JOSEPH WEISSENQTETN W J PATTERSON ETAL GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD July 12, 1955 Original Filed Dec.

y 1955 w. J. PATTERSON ET AL 2,712,671

GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD Original Filed D80. 3, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 FIG. 5

WILLIAM J- PATTERSON JUSEPH WEISSENSTUN IN VEN TORS BY ma ATTORNEY y 1955 w. J. PATTERSON ET AL 2,712,671

GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD Original Filed Dec. 3, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 FIG. 8

WILLIAM J. PATTERSON JOSEPH WEISSENSTE I N 1 N VEN TORS BY $5M ATTORNEY July 1955 w. J. PATTERSON ET AL 2,712,671

GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD Original Filed Dec. 3, 1952 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 WILLIAM J. PAITERSON JOSEPH WEISSENSTEIN BYQQEQW ATTORNEY United States Patent 0 GIZZARD SPLITTING AND CLEANING METHOD William J. Patterson, La Grange, and Joseph Weissenstein, Chicago, 111., assignors to Swift & Company, Chicago, EL, a corporation of Illinois Original application December 3, 1952, Serial No. 323,804, now Patent No. 2,695,418, dated November 30, 1954. Divided and this application January 27, 1954, Serial No. 406,406

6 Claims. (Cl. 17-45) The present invention relates to a method for opening and cleaning poultry gizzards.

Traditionally the method of opening and Cleaning poultry gizzards has been a hand operation. However, with the increasing volume of poultry being dressed for sale to the public, there has been a pressure to minimize the amount of hand labor required so as to enable the poultry to be sold at the lowest possible price. Recently there have been several proposals for machines to perform this operation of opening and cleaning poultry gizzards, but in some respects these machines have not been entirely satisfactory. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a method that will substantially eliminate these difficulties that have been encountered, while, at the same time reducing the costs involved in this operation.

An object that is a corollary of the foregoing is to provide a machine that will perform satisfactorily with the regular run of gizzards as they are received from the birds being eviscerated. The gizzards in such a run vary substantially in size and shape, which fact has caused considerable difficulty in the past because such non-uniformity has resulted in many of the gizzards either being cut too much or cut too little, plus the further result of a substantial quantity of the gizzards being unsatisfactorily cleaned. For all practical purposes the present invention overcomes this difficulty and the variance in the size of the gizzards does not result in a variance in the results achieved by the machine.

Another factor that has produced considerable trouble in such a machine is the presence of stones and other foreign material within the interior of the gizzard. The knife blades used to cut the gizzards have been quickly dulled by striking such material, with the result that the knives soon begin to fail to cut properly. The necessity for continually sharpening such knives, or replacing them, has been most unsatisfactory. Following the practices of the present invention the life of the knives, as judged by the number of gizzards that can be handled before resharpening or replacement is required, is greatly extended.

An additional advantage of the present invention is that the gizzards are so cut and cleaned that there is no opportunity for contamination of the gizzards. Contamination, at least by one standard, is judged by whether or not during processing the contents of such organs as the gizzard come into contact with portions of the organ not normally contacted by said contents. This is judged to be so whether or not those portions are subsequently cleaned. in the present invention the cutting and washing are so handled that there is not the opportunity for such contamination.

Other objects and advantages include: a device that is relatively simple and in which a substantial number of the parts are readily available in the market whereby the initial cost is quite reasonable; a device that because of its simplicity, positioning of parts and the like, is easily maintained and requires no special skills for such main- "ice tenance; and a device that has substantially no critical adjustments to get out of position, whereby day after day it can be expected to operate in a satisfactory manner.

Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description taken in conjunction with the drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of an embodiment of the machine;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the embodiment with the portions thereof above the conveyor removed to illustrate the structure therebelow;

Figure 3 is an elevational view of one of the pales used for mounting the gizzard, and the supporting member for that pale;

Figure 4 is an end view of the pale and supporting member illustrated in Figure 3 looking from line 4-4;

Figure 5 is an enlarged partial section taken at line 5-5 of Figure 1;

Figure 6 is an isometric view of a portion of the machine illustrating particularly the alignment guides which are an aid in placing the gizzards in the machine and facilitate the handling of gizzards of various sizes;

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a portion of the machine illustrating the cutting and flushing structure; and

*igure 8 is an enlarged partial section taken at line 88 of Figure l.

The method of the present invention has been devised particularly to clean the gizzards while at the same time avoid the severe dulling of the cutting instruments caused by the contents of the gizzard contacting the edges of the cutting instruments. To facilitate the cleaning of the gizzard and the removing of the gizzard lining, the gizzard is normally cut from one side of the gizzard across to the inner edge of the opposite side of the gizzard.

Preferably the gizzard is first impaled with the pale being inserted through the gizzard immediately adjacent the inner wall at one side of the gizzard. The gizzard is then cut from the opposite wall of the gizzard part way through to the pale. A strong stream of water is directed into the opening produced by this partial cut to dislodge a substantial portion of the contents of the gizzard. Preferably this spraying takes place with the gizzard positioned so that the cut is down to facilitate the dislodging of the contents from the gizzard. A second cut is then made from the first cut across to the points of impalement. While it is possible to eliminate the intermediate spray, its use facilitates the removal of at least some or" the contents of the gizzard to lessen the dulling of the second knife.

The advantage of this method is that the first cut is not sufficiently deep to cause severe dulling of the edge of the cutting instrument by contact with the contents of the gizzard, while the second cut is made after a substantial portion of the contents of the gizzard have been removed so as to reduce or eliminate the dulling of the cutting edge of the implement used in making the second cut. It will be apparent that the same method could be performed by making more than two cuts, with each one being increasingly deeper, but two have been found to be quite satisfactory.

In the disclosed embodiment, the first cut is made by a single fixed blade across which the gizzard is drawn. The depth of the cut is to within about one-quarter inch of the points of irnpalement. The flushing is performed at the time of the making of this cut, or immediately thereafter. The second cut in the disclosed embodiment is made by means of a rotary knife having a sharpened in the illustrated embodiment, a frame, generally 26,

; carries a conveyor, gene ally 21. The conveyor, as well as the rotary knife hereinafter described, is driven from 5 a suitable power means such as motor 22.

Conveyor 21 comprises a pair of chains 23 and 24,

- connected by a plurality of spacers 25. Chain 23 moves around sprockets 27 and 23, while chain 24 travels over a similar pair of sprockets 2? and 30. Sprockets 27 and 29 are secured to a shaft 32 suitably journaled in a pair of anti-friction bearings 33 and 34, secured to frame 2 35, mounted in bearings 36 and 37 on frame 29.

Shaft also has secured to it two other sprockets, 39

and 49 respectively. A chain 41 connects sprocket 39 i with a sprocket 42 on the shaft 43 of motor 22.

Conveyor 21 is provided with a plurality of transporting means for the gizzards to be cut and washed on the 7 machine. I means take the form of a plurality of pales 4 secured I to spacer bars 25'. The preferable form of the pales is illustrated in Figures 3 and 4.

In the disclosed embodiment the transporting The side opposite the spacer bar 25 is formed with a groove 45. With respect to the direction of movement of the top run of the conveyor, which is illustrated by arrow 46, the pales 44 extend forwardly from the spacer bars 25 with the forward nose 47 of the pale 44 tapering to a point, to facilitate slipping the gizzards 48 in the pales.

Along the beginning of the upper run of the conveyor 5, are two pair of trough-like loading and aligning guides. The first pair of guides are formed of a pair of metal strips 50 and 51, respectively. The inner edge of each strip is bent inwardly and downwardly to form inner faces 52 and 53, respectively. Each of strips 5t and 51 are at- I tached to spacers 55 and 56, which spacers in turn are supported on the ends of springs 57 and 58, respectively. The lower ends of springs 57 and 58 bear against angle irons '9 and 69, forming a part of frame 20. Bolts 61 and 62 I within springs 57 and 58 are connected to the spacers ,1 and pass loosely through the angle irons to hold the guide 2 in place while allowing it to be depressed.

The secondalignment guide is formed of strips 63 and Z 64 secured to spacers 65 and 66. The inner faces 68 and 69 of strips 63 and 64, respectively, are similarly turned 3 inwardly and down to form the trough-like structure. spring 70 bears against spacer block 65 and also on an angle iron 71 forming a part of frame 2%. Similarly a second spring 72 is positioned between spacer 6-5 and an arm 73 secured to frame Zil. Bolts 74 and 75 are attached to spacers 65 and 66 respectively, and fit loosely through openings in angle iron 71 and arm 72.

As is shown, particularly in Figures 5 and 6, the first pair of guides 5i and Si is above, i. e. closer to the pales f on the run of the conveyor on which the processing of the gizzards takes place, and partially overlaps the second pair of guides, 63 and 64. The difi'erently positioned guides are to facilitate the loading of different sizes of gizzards and also prevent a large gizzard from so displacing I the guide that a small gizzard is not properly positioned and supported.

"being approximately one-quarter inch below the pales as they pass thereover.

A pair of guide plates 3%) and 81 are mounted to either side of knife 76. Guide plates 8% and 81 are pivotally supported on pins 82 and 83 respectively, secured to, and

extending upwardly from, frame 2%. Springs 34 and E35 are attached to guides 89 and 31, respectively, and also are attached to frame 2% to urge the guide plates towards knife 76. It has been found that this mounting of the guides insures that the cut into the gizzard is started in the middle of the bottom wall of the gizzard. With the cut started properly it serves as a guide for increasing its depth.

The second of the two knives in the disclosed embodiment is a rotary knife 87 having a sharpened serrated edge 88. Knife 87 is secured to a shaft 89 to which also is'aiiixecl a sprocket 0. Shaft 89 is journaled in bearlugs 91 and 92 attached to frame 20. A sprocket 94 (Figures 2 and 8) is journaled on a stub shaft 95, projecting outwardly from frame 20. Sprocket )4 is aligned with sprocket 96, but mounted beyond and above sprocket 90. The reason for using sprocket 94 is to obtain a reversal of rotation of shaft 89 with respect to the direction of rotation of shaft 43 of motor 22.

In Figure 1 it will be seen that motor 22 rotates in a clockwise direction to give the conveyor 21 the direction of movement shown by arrow 46. However, it is desired to have shaft 2'39 and blade 87 rotate in a counter-clockwise direction as seen in Pi ure 1. This is done by hooking the upper run 96 of chain 97 under sprocket 99 and then up over sprocket 94. From sprocket 94, chain 97 goes back down around a sprocket 93 on the shaft 43 of motor 22.

Immediately to the rear of knife 8'7 is the grid, generally 1133, on which the gizzards are spread out for washing. A thin nose piece fill at the front end of grid 1% has the leading edge 152 curved generally to conform to the configuration of blade 87. As is best seen in Figure l, the plurality of longitudinal wires 303 that form grid i 31 are at about the same elevation as are the pales 4-4. This is permitted by reason of the spacing between the two inner wires, 1-94 and 105, of grid 1%, which allows the pale to move therebetween. To provide a transition between the nose piece 191, which is lower than the pales, and the wires we there is a single wire 1% that extends from the nose piece rearwardly and downwardly into the opening between wires m4 and 1&5. As is seen in Figure l and Figure 7, the grid 1% gradually flattens out towards the rearward end thereof to facilitate the thorough washing of the gizzard.

As the gizzards pass to the end of the run across which the processing takes place, they normally fall from the pales 44 down onto a chute 1637, forming a part of the shield, generally 103. In some instances there may be a tendency of the gizzards not to fall from the pales and to insure that they are removed, a pair of spaced arms, 111') and 111, are used to fiick the gizzards from the pales.

Arms 119 and 111 are secured to a shaft 112 journaled in bearings 113 and 114 attached to frame 26. As is seen in Figure 2 the arms are positioned on shaft 112 so as to be to either side of the line of movement the pales 44. Sprocket 115 is connected to sprocket 4% on shaft 35 by means of a'chain 1E7. Chain 117 also passes over a pair of idler sprockets 118 and 119 which are journaled on stub shafts 12d and 121, respectively, projecting outwardly from frame 20.

The idler sprockets are used so that the'chain will loop around sprocket 115 in a direction to obtain a counterciockwise rotation of that sprocket, as viewed in Figure 1. The sizes of sprockets do and 116 are so proportioned that arms 110 and 111 will fiick to either side of each of pales 44 as they pass adjacent shaft 112. Since at this time the arms 11!} and Fill. are moving downwardly, the arms will provide a positive dislodgement of the gizzards from the pales.

To facilitate the cutting and washing operations, pressure means are used to hold the .gizzards in place while they are cut, and to flatten them out while'they are washed. These pressure means are mounted within a hood comprise a plurality of pressure shoes 1% through 129. As is seen in Figure 8, with respect to pressure shoe 127, each of the shoes is formed with a tunnel 213i on the underside thereof. Each of the pressure shoes curves upwardly at the entering end thereof with the entering end pring p essure shoe is s '7 o ur e a and hood 125 t Hood 125 is mounted on a pair of brackets 136 and 137. Gne end of bracket 336 (Figure 8) is pivotally connected to frame by means of a pin 353, while the other end of bracket .136 is held in place by means of a wing nut 139 on a bolt 1 3-3 secured to frame 2 A spray head 142 is centered under the p of trav of the gizzards below the rear of corner of knife As previously mentioned in the description of the method of cutting of the present invention, this spray head provides a jet of water directed into the cut made by the first knife 76, to dislodge a portion of the contents of the gizzard to decrease the dulling of the blade by which the final, deep cut is made.

A pair of spray heads, 143 and 14 are positioned under grid 1% also in alignment with the path of travel of the gizzards after they have been opened and spread apart. Spray heads 143 and 144 are connected together through a pipe 145, which in turn is connected to a header 146 through a pipe 147. Spray head 142 is also connected to header 146 by means of a pipe 148. Pipe 143 connects header 146 to a suitable source of wash water supply.

The bottom of the central portion of shield 108 forms a sump .151 from which the water is drained off through a pipe 152 connected to a suitable drain.

The operator takes the gizzards one at a time and puts them in either the guide formed by strips 59 and 51 or the guide formed by strips 63 and 64, depending upon the size of the gizzard. Preferably the pale is inserted into the gizzard immediately adjacent one of the inner walls of the gizzard. The posterior opening left in the gizzard by the removal of the intestine provides a good guide for the proper insertion of the pale 44. By pushing the gizzard against the guides, the springs that support the guides may be depressed, thus allowing the operator to gauge the alignment of the gizzard with respect to the pale and provides a means of additionally compensating for gizzards of various sizes. As the pale moves forward into the gizzard it pierces the izzard, whereupon the operator releases the gizzard to be carried forward by the pale.

If the operator does not hold the gizzard sufficiently long for the pale to completely pierce the gizzard, the contact of the gizzard with guides 80 and 81 will push the gizzard back on the pale and against spacer 25. When the pierced gizzard reaches knife 76, guides 8t and 81 hold the gizzard centered over the knife, while pressure shoe 126 holds the gizzard down against the knife. Knife 76 cuts part way into the inner opening of the gizzard, whereupon the jet of water from nozzle 142 flushes a portion of the contents from the interior of the gizzard. The gizzard is then carried across rotary knife 37, which extends upwardly into groove 45 of the pale 44 to complete the severing of the gizzard below the pale.

The unsevered portion of the gizzard lies above pale 44- which provides some temporary support to the gizzard while it is moved across the nose 191 of grid 1%. Thereafter the gizzard is principally supported upon the grid 100 and the interior thereof is washed by the jets of water from spray heads 143 and 144. Upon reaching the end of this run of the conveyor, the gizzards fall from the pales 44, or are flicked therefrom by arms 110 and 111 to drop down on chute 107 from which they may be received in a suitable receptacle, not shown.

In some embodiments there may be a tendency for the chains 23 and 24 and the crossbars 25 to move sideways .1 into cor act with the sides of and r d to prevent a sidewise movetbe chain (see Figures meat. in addition an ie iron 1556 is hooked over the top of the chain t reve. t its moving up and down.

The foregoing description of a specific embodiment is for the purpose of complying with 35 U. S. C. 112 and is not to be construed as imposing unnecessary limitations upon the appended claims.

llS application is a division of our co-pending application Serial No. 323,834, filed December 3, 1952, now Patent No. 2,695,4l8, issued November 30, 1954.

We claim:

l. The method of opening poultry gizzards including the steps of cutting one wall of the gizzard to partially open the in uior thereof, directing a forceful liquid spray into said cut to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, and cuttiu the walls of the gizzard adjacent said one wall from said first cut substantially as far as the gizzard wall opposite said one wall.

2. The method of opening poultry gizzards including the steps of impaling the gizzard adjacent one portion of the inner wall of the gizzard, cutting the opposite wall of the gizzard to partially open the interior thereof, directing a forceful liquid spray into said out to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, and cutting the remainder of the walls of the gizzard between the points of impalement and said first cut.

3. The method of opening and washing poultry gizzards including the steps of impaling the gizzard adjacent one portion of the inner wall of the gizzard, cutting the opposite wall of the gizzard to partially open the interior thereof, directing a forceful liquid spray into said cut to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, cutting the remainder of the walls of the gizzard between the points of impalement and said first cut, spreading the two Walls of the gizzard separated by said cuts, and flushing the remaining contents from the interior of the gizzard.

4. The method of opening and washing poultry gizzards including the steps of impaling the gizzard adjacent one portion of the inner wall of the gizzard, while holding the said one portion of the wall upwardly cutting the opposite wall of the gizzard to partially open the interior thereof, directing a forceful liquid spray into said cut to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, cutting the remainder of the walls of the gizzard between the points of impalement and said first cut, spreading the two walls of the gizzard separated by said cuts, and flushing the remaining contents from the interior of the gizzard.

5. The method of opening poultry gizzards including the steps of cutting one wall of the gizzard to partially open the interior thereof, while holding said cut wall downwardly directing a forceful liquid spray into said out to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, and cutting the walls of the gizzard adjacent said one wall from said first cut substantially as far as the gizzard wall opposite said one wall.

6. The method of opening and washing poultry gizzards including the steps of cutting one wall of the gizzard to partially open the interior thereof, while holding said out wall downwardly directing a forceful liquid spray into said out to at least partially dislodge the contents of the gizzard, cutting the walls of the gizzard adjacent said one wall from said cut substantially as far as the gizzard wall opposite said one wall, spreading the two walls of the gizzard separated by said cuts, and flushing the remaining contents from the interior of the gizzard.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,657,424 Biddinger et al Nov. 3, 1953 

